Into Darkness
by WickedForGood13
Summary: Thor is there for Loki when his brother reaches his breaking point. Rated M for sibling incest and sex, cutting and eating disorders, and spanking.
1. Chapter 1

_The city was burning; people screamed and ran for cover; destruction was everywhere, with cars overturned and whole buildings demolished. Yet there was nothing he could do. Loki stood atop an immense tower, looking down as he surveyed the landscape around him that was dotted with barely-contained fires and great plumes of smoke. He sensed a presence behind him and turned, clutching his scepter with both hands and brandishing it as a weapon._

"_Brother!" he said, surprised, and attempted to relax his defensive stance. But there was some other force driving him, compelling him to approach Thor and speak cruel, taunting words designed to rouse Thor's ire. "Brother!" Loki tried again, desperate for Thor to hear him, but his lips remained stubbornly closed. Against his will, Loki drew a dagger and watched with dreaded fascination – as if separate from his body – as he plunged the blade into Thor's side, his brother's blood slowly draining from the wound to stain the ground red at Loki's feet._

"_So much for sentiment," Loki sneered, and spat on Thor's still-warm body, before striding away, his cloak billowing out behind him._

Loki sat up with a jerk, his entire body bathed in cold sweat while his blood thrummed like fire through his veins. A dream – it had only been a dream, he told himself. Yet his heart still raced from watching Thor die by his hand and bleed to death at Loki's feet. Despite every instinct urging him to seek Thor out and further reassure himself that it had, in fact, been just a dream and that Thor was, in reality, very much alive, Loki stilled his traitorous limbs that had already moved to throw off the covers and stayed where he was, doubting his welcome in Thor's bedchambers at such an hour.

The two brothers, both princes of Asgard, had only recently come into their manhood and were at last being allowed the privilege of traveling alone throughout the Nine Realms. While most trips were pleasant diversions, such as several that they had taken to Midgard, today's mission on Nornheim had taken a turn for the worse when Thor's brash and unrefined manners had unintentionally offended some of the natives. Surrounded on all sides, and without the Warriors Three and Sif to back them up, Loki had called upon his magic to shroud them in a dense fog and thus hide them from their foes.

From then on, the battle had been easy, and they had returned to Asgard, triumphant. Their parents had been waiting for them on the topmost step leading into the palace. Thor had approached, bowing his head to receive the kiss of peace, while Loki had patiently waited his turn on the next step down. Always below Thor; never on level ground, as equals.

Yet Odin had not even spared Loki a glance, instead lavishing praise on Thor for once more proving his exceptional prowess in battle. Frigga had smiled at him, but that did little to lessen the sting of Thor's next words, used to explain the part each brother had played: "Some do battle, others just do tricks." Although his statement was made in jest, Loki took the words to heart.

For as long as he could remember, Loki's own skills had been ignored, even outright mocked, though only behind his back, since no one dared to insult the golden prince's younger brother when Thor was near. That still didn't put a stop to the speculation surrounding Loki and how his appearance and even his very nature seemed the complete opposite of Thor's. Where the elder had mastered the art of self-defense through use of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, Loki favored magic, creating duplicates of himself with which to trick his opponents.

Small wonder, then, that Loki had earned the nickname of '_Trickster_.'

Loki continued to breathe heavily from the exertion of his dream. Still tempted to go to Thor – _and_ _oh, how he craved his elder brother's protection from when they were young_ – Loki was determined to master his own fears rather than rely on the strength of another. His hands fisting the sheets, Loki turned this way and that as he sought to escape the images that continued to assault his mind. He couldn't help but feel that there had been some other force controlling his actions in that dream, thus absolving him of the blame of Thor's death. Yet he could not un-see the sight of his beloved brother sprawled on the ground and his limbs twisted at awkward angles, unnaturally still in death as he was incapable of being in life.

Once more cursing his and Thor's separate bedrooms – while Asgardian tradition allowed for siblings to share a room, those same siblings must separate once they reached their majority – Loki gave up any hopes of falling back to sleep, and instead rose from his bed and donned a silken robe. Throwing open the double doors and stepping out onto the balcony, Loki breathed in the fresh cool night air and found his fears receding somewhat. He couldn't help but wonder, though, if his dream might not be some premonition of the future. Oh, how he hoped not!

Loki leaned heavily on the railing, making use of his vast intellect as he sorted through thoughts and emotions too numerous to name. The events of that day troubled him. To be so ignored, while others heaped acclaim on his brother; and Thor, who stood by and did nothing, nor corrected the people's impression of him. Loki was hurt, though not debilitated by the pain he felt. He knew that he was as much to blame for remaining silent, and that his relationship with Thor threatened to fall into a dangerous cycle: Loki forgiving Thor's slights, and Thor forgetting those same slights. Yet Loki didn't see any way out. It wasn't as if Thor actually listened to him, not since falling in with the Warriors Three and Sif, all of whom merely tolerated his presence at the insistence of Thor.

Tears formed in his eyes as Loki thought back to when he and Thor were children, and they were the only two in each other's lives. Being the younger brother, it had been natural for Loki to follow Thor around, to look up to and admire him, even to worship him as one might a hero. When did such feelings change, though, that now Loki wondered what it would be like to kiss Thor, to make love to him, to fall asleep beside him and wake up in the mornings with him?

Having failed to arrive at a logical solution to his problem, Loki retreated in doors once more. He needed to clear his mind. There were voices screaming at him, reminding him of his faults and failings, his differences, how he would never measure up to Thor and that he should be grateful to live in the shadow of one so admired and adored. Letting out a choked cry, Loki stumbled towards the bathroom, closing the door behind him and locking it to ensure his privacy.

Oh, how it hurt to acknowledge the fact – even inside his mind! – that he was nothing compared to Thor, that the golden prince would always be the chosen one while he, Loki, would continue being relegated to the sidelines, an unpleasant reminder to Thor of his familial duty.

Hardly aware of what he was doing, Loki drew forth one of his hunting knives that he always kept on his person in case of attack – after that unfortunate incident in the marketplace when he was little more than a teen, Loki wasn't taking any chances – and rolled up the sleeve of both his robe and sleeping tunic. Staring at his pale white skin, Loki wondered if this was really the right thing to do. Then he thought of Thor, skin tanned from his many outdoor exploits, and Loki's resolve hardened. Pressing the blade close, Loki made a slashing motion and a shallow incision formed on the inside of his wrist, trickling blood down from the cut and onto the floor.

In that first moment, Loki felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from him. His problems and worries mattered little in the face of such a heady release. The wound stung, and Loki dared to poke and prod at it, fascinated by his body's reaction. He idly wondered what Thor would say if he knew what Loki had done on this night, but he pushed that thought away as unimportant, as Thor himself had pushed Loki away on so many occasions. He was too tired to think of Thor, too tired to care anymore. In truth, Loki felt nothing at all, as if drained of all emotion.

Pushing himself to his feet, Loki methodically cleaned his blade and the mess his little 'experiment' had created on the floor, then treated the cut that he had knowingly made, wrapping a bandage around his wrist and lowering the sleeve of his robe and night-tunic to hide the evidence. Turning off the light, Loki silently padded back into his own room, climbing into bed and tucking the covers in around his lean form.

As he stared sightlessly up at the darkened ceiling, Loki came to a decision: he would continue to cut whenever he felt lonely or afraid; eventually, then, he would no longer feel anything at all, and he would have successfully eradicated such mortal weaknesses as sentiment from his body.

Pleased with himself, Loki turned on his side, enjoying the pleasant twinge his wrist gave when he put any weight on it, and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Centuries passed, and though Loki's loyalty to Thor remained absolute – no one could doubt his devotion when he continually risked himself in battle, sustaining numerous injuries in Thor's stead – relations between them grew undeniably tense as Thor continued to rise in the people's regard while Loki faded. He didn't begrudge Thor the people's and their parents' praise; it was well-deserved, after all. But it still hurt when Loki's deeds went unrecognized, leaving him to feel invisible, unwanted and unloved, yet another reminder that he was not fit to be the partner of the future king of Asgard.

It was at these times that Loki turned to his trusty blade, marking the skin of his arms and even his thighs to make note of when Thor was favored while he was ignored. It wasn't so much the words that were hurled at him that hurt – '_some do battle, others just do tricks_' – but the attitude behind such words. People actually believed that Loki was the lesser of the two brothers, and Loki was eventually inclined to agree, since there was little evidence to the contrary.

One evening, when it all had gotten to be too much for Loki, he made the deepest cut yet, driving his blade in at the crease of his elbow and dragging it down all the way to his wrist. Whether he was trying to kill himself or not, even Loki wasn't sure. Either way, though, his magic prevented him from dying, and instead he was left in excruciating pain as his blood flowed freely, staining himself and the bathroom floor he sat on. Loki staunched the wound matter-of-factly and did what he could to clean himself in preparation for that night's banquet in Thor's honor.

Ensuring that the cuffs to his tunic were in place, betraying not a sign of the bandage underneath, Loki strode into the feasting hall and took his place at Thor's side. Little was spoken between them, the atmosphere strained as those present sought Thor's attention while Loki was shunted to the side, ignored in favor of his golden brother. Taking no offense at the slight – whether intended or not, it was a regular enough occurrence that Loki no longer minded – Loki turned his attention to the wide selection of delicacies, filling his plate even though he had no intention of eating. As his relationship with Thor had declined, so too had his appetite. Now he ate only enough to maintain the appearance of a happy and healthy prince of Asgard, otherwise relying on his status as a god to sustain him.

Loki was just reaching for an apple when Thor addressed him. "Brother, what is this?" he asked.

Looking down to where Thor had hold of him, Loki's eyes widened in horror at seeing the sleeve of his tunic riding up enough to expose his skeletal wrist, which was encased in bandages, though he was thankful that Thor could not see the full extent of the damage he had inflicted on himself. "Tis but a scratch, Thor," he replied, attempting to dissuade his brother from investigating further while pulling his wrist from out of the other's grasp and trying not to wince at the pain such an action cost him, "It is nothing to concern yourself with."

"You are hurt. That _is_ my concern," Thor swiftly countered.

"Since when?" hissed Loki, clutching at his wrist and forgetting that as siblings they should be presenting a united front before those present. Loki could feel the abuse he had suffered for the last several hundred years coming to a head, and he was past caring. Making his excuses to the All-Father, Loki strode hurriedly from the hall, praying that Thor would stay where he was. No such luck. His brother's boots sounded on the tile floor behind him, and Loki realized that he was being followed. "Go back to the feast, Thor," said Loki tiredly, all the fight and fire seeming to have left him as suddenly as it came. "It _is_ in your honor, after all."

"I refuse to leave you until I know that you are well," Thor responded, instead, once more managing to surprise Loki. He hadn't thought Thor cared about anyone but himself, certainly not enough to turn down the chance to bask in the approval of their parents and the praise of their peers and subjects.

Loki began taking longer strides in hopes of outpacing his brother, but Thor matched him stride for stride, again proving his worth, while Loki was found lacking. Entering his chamber, Loki almost wished that the doors would slam in Thor's face, but his brother was dogged in his pursuit and would surely not leave until he was satisfied. "What do you want from me, Thor?" Loki exclaimed, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "I tell you that I am well. There is nothing the matter with me. So return to the feast. You have done your duty by me. I am satisfied."

"Where did you receive such an injury?" asked Thor, inclining his head in the direction of Loki's wrist, where the bandage peeked out from beneath the sleeve of his tunic.

"An accident, nothing more," Loki assured him, but to no avail.

"I will have the truth from you, brother," said Thor imperiously. "Remove your clothes. I would see the rest of your body to determine whether such an 'accident' has happened before."

"Thor, you're being ridiculous," Loki protested, even as his hands reached for various clasps and laces, his body automatically responding to the authority in his brother's voice and obeying.

"Indulge me," was all Thor would say as he took a seat at the foot of Loki's bed and watched his brother undress. When Loki stood before him in the nude, having let his armor fall, Thor's eyes raked his body from head to toe in appreciation for Loki's well-muscled appearance. Although he wouldn't be considered strikingly handsome in the same way as Thor, he was still attractive in his own way, if a bit on the lean side.

Only once Thor had noticed this distinguishing feature did he look more closely at the rest of Loki, taking note of every individual scar and blemish, and cataloging each to question Loki about at a later time. Some, he knew, came from battles that both had participated in; Thor now recalled with chagrin those in which Loki had risked himself overmuch. Others, though, were more well-defined and might even have been deliberate.

It was this thought in particular that stopped Thor in his tracks. He knew that he wasn't as clever as Loki. He would much rather spar than read a book, and he preferred being in motion to remaining stationary. But now, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, he realized with startling clarity what must be troubling his beloved brother. And what must have been troubling him for quite a number of years, if the scars on his arms and legs were anything to go by.

"Come here," Thor commanded.

"What are you going to do?" asked Loki nervously, for once afraid of his brother.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson. Come here," said Thor again, his voice gentle and yet somehow terrible, too.

Loki approached his brother on shaky legs that were barely able to hold his own weight, and was almost relieved when Thor pulled him across his lap. That relief soon morphed into dread, though, when Thor let one of his big meaty hands come to rest on Loki's arse, and Loki knew then exactly what Thor's intentions were. "Thor – _brother_..." he began, but his protests were abruptly cut off when Thor landed the first strike. Loki gasped and tensed all his muscles as the pain blossomed and peaked.

"How _dare_ you?" Thor hissed, punctuating every word with a blow to Loki's arse. "How dare you harm that which I love more than life itself?" He continued smacking Loki, his pace unrelenting, the sounds of flesh hitting flesh reverberating off the walls of the otherwise silent room. "Whatever the cause of your unhappiness, you should have come to me rather than turning to self-mutilation. I would have listened; I would have been there for you as you have always been for me."

Loki remained stoic, refusing to respond no matter how hard Thor struck him. Determined to break Loki's resolve, Thor began slapping at his brother's thighs, marking the formerly pale skin with bright red handprints. Loki, who had previously held himself still, now began kicking his legs back and forth as he felt tears prick his eyelids. He refused to cry, though; he would not humiliate himself any further than he already was by being turned over his brother's knee and spanked like an unruly child.

Thor returned to smacking Loki's arse, now layering the blows up and down the full length of his backside where before he had only focused on a specific target. He resumed speaking: "It has not escaped my notice that you seem to think little of yourself in comparison to me. You risk yourself in battle for my sake when there is no need, sustaining injuries meant for me and that I deserve. What I _don't_ deserve is a brother such as you, one who cares for me to the extent that you do and who places my desires above his own. What I'm trying to say here, Loki, the point I'm trying to impress upon you, is this: that you are loved." He punctuated his words with the harshest smack yet to the base of Loki's arse, where his buttocks and thighs merged, putting his full force behind the blow.

With one hand at the small of Loki's back and the other rubbing soothing circles atop the enflamed skin of his arse and thighs, Thor spoke softly: "_I_ love you, Loki, more than I ever thought was possible to feel for another being."

Loki remained bent over Thor's lap, unwilling yet to face his brother. While Thor had been spanking him, a strange feeling had overcome Loki, as though _this_ was what he had been waiting for all these years: for Thor to dominate him, totally, and thereby school him in the ways of right and wrong. His body's subsequent response to this realization was strange, to say the least: he had grown hard, his erection now pressing against Thor's thigh. It wouldn't be long, now, before the elder brother discovered his younger sibling's current predicament. And then, surely, his punishment would begin anew. How else would Thor react except with disgust?

"Loki?" Thor's hand was by his head, hesitating to brush away the hair that acted as a shield, however insubstantial, protecting Loki from Thor's gaze.

There was nothing for it; Loki would have to face the consequences of his attraction to his brother. He carefully raised himself up so that he was straddling Thor's thighs, his erection now apparent to both. As a result of having been bent over for so long, Loki's face was red from all the blood that had rushed to his head; his cheeks were tear-stained; and he could feel snot steadily dripping down from his flared nostrils. As his arse and thighs brushed against Thor's cloth-covered legs, the pain shot straight to his throbbing cock, making his arousal evident.

Loki was just about to speak – to break the silence between them, even if he was cast out and disowned as a result, his suspicions confirmed that he was neither wanted nor loved, despite whatever _Thor_ might say to the contrary – when he felt something sharp poke him between his arse cheeks, and he realized that it was Thor's own erection. The brothers' eyes met and both gasped, pulling away on instinct at seeing the same desire pooling in the other's glistening orbs.

Placing one arm beneath Loki's knees and the other at his back, Thor picked up his brother and situated him on the bed, being mindful of his arse and thighs, which were surely throbbing as much as – if not more than! – his cock, though each for entirely different reasons. Latching onto his brother's wrist, lest Thor should decide to leave, to once more abandon him, Loki spoke desperately, in little more than a whisper: "Take me, Thor. Mark me as yours, now and forever."

"Do you know of what you ask?" Thor rasped, his voice having suddenly gone hoarse.

"Brother, please..." Loki whimpered, fresh tears forming in his eyes that he might yet be rejected, even after baring himself as he had, despite not being entirely his own choice.

Unable to resist his brother's pleading, as well as being through with denying his own wants and needs, Thor crawled onto the bed and took Loki in his arms, pulling the younger man atop his chest and raising his head to join their lips. The kiss was brief, but sweet and pleasurable, more so than any of the ones that either brother had ever shared before with another. But Loki didn't want tenderness. Pushing away from Thor, and uncaring of the pain such an act caused to his still-tender backside, Loki rolled onto his stomach, trusting in Thor to understand his meaning.

"Are you sure?" Thor whispered, for once acting less dim-witted than others – most often, Loki – accused him of being.

"Yes," said Loki, nodding, his head pillowed on both his arms. "Please, Thor."

Thor pressed a kiss to the back of Loki's neck, and then was gone, having left to retrieve a bottle of oil to ease his entry into Loki's body. Trailing kisses down Loki's spine, the only tenderness he would allow himself to show for the moment, Thor spread Loki's arse cheeks, taking care to dig his nails into the already abused flesh. When Loki had first pushed him away, he had sensed that Loki wanted more pain. And so Thor would give him what he wanted, much as it grieved him to do so. While he would rather lavish his brother with positive attention by worshipping his body, he would comply with Loki's wishes, at least this once. Thor hoped that if they coupled again, though, that Loki would permit him to pamper the other prince rather than treat him as simply a hole to be fucked.

Yet Thor would not leave Loki unprepared to accept the full length of his manhood. Drizzling some of the oil into his palm, Thor slipped a single slicked-up finger through the tight ring of muscle that was Loki's entrance. Once Loki had adjusted to the initial intrusion, Thor added a second finger, scissoring the two to further stretch Loki's capacity to accommodate him, before adding a third. Smirking to himself at the moan Loki gave at the loss of all three fingers, Thor slapped him once sharply on the arse in a wordless reprimand. Loki thrust back towards Thor's hand, silently begging for more of the same. Thor indulged his brother, smacking him several times in quick succession across both his arse and thighs until the skin was once more pleasantly pink. Already, though, Thor could see bruises forming where he had hit Loki before, and so he stilled his hand, instead moving to slick up his cock before pressing himself against Loki's back.

"Are you ready for me, brother?" he whispered breathily in Loki's ear, gripping the other's hips and raising Loki to his hands and knees.

Loki remained silent, having learned his lesson from before, and Thor planted a sloppy kiss on his neck as a reward. He then lined himself up with Loki's entrance and pressed in, being mindful that this was most likely Loki's first time, and treating him as something precious, to be treasured. His thrusts were slow to start, drawing nearly all the way out before sliding fully back in. He soon forgot himself, though, unconsciously speeding up the snap of his hips. Apart from his harsh pants, then, the only other sound in the room was skin slapping skin as Thor's hips met Loki's arse.

Loki held himself still all the while. Though his cock throbbed and was painful with the way it was pressed up against his own body, unable to find release, he was determined to please Thor through whatever means necessary. He had asked for this, after all – nay, he'd begged for it – and so he would endure. As much as he wanted for Thor to be tender, so much like their parents must have been in their younger days, he wanted pain more, for Thor to complete his punishment by taking him hard and fast from behind, just as he currently was. There would be time enough for love making later, if Thor still wanted him.

His brother's release was fast approaching; Loki could tell from the way his thrusts were becoming more erratic. As Thor's balls tightened, he spent his seed inside Loki, slamming forward and continuing to thrust until his cock softened and slid seamlessly out. Loki remained hunched forward, waiting either for Thor to help him achieve his release or giving him permission to achieve his release himself. A hand at his cock caused Loki to jump, visibly startled, before settling, and in a few short strokes, Loki was spending himself on the sheets and Thor's hand.

Fetching a cloth and wetting it, Thor cleaned himself and Loki both, pressing the cool rag to Loki's heated arse and thighs in an effort to alleviate some of the pain his brother must be feeling, before just as quickly discarding it. He climbed into bed, taking Loki in his arms and pulling the covers over their bodies. No words had been spoken throughout the entire exchange.


	2. Chapter 2

In the morning, when Loki woke, he was alone. He stretched languorously, not yet aware that Thor no longer rested beside him, and reveled in the soreness radiating from his joints and muscles. Taking stock of his body, Loki noted the pain in his arse and was reminded of the previous evening's activities: Thor spanking him, and then fucking him into the mattress. It was then that Loki registered the absence of his brother in bed with him.

Immediately fearing the worst, Loki assumed that Thor no longer wanted him and never had. Last night had been a pity fuck and nothing more. Why else would he be gone when Loki woke? Loki felt a sense of panic overtaking him and overwhelming his senses. The only thing that had ever helped before was his knife and marking his skin as a reminder that he would never fit in. Still, Loki was hardly eager for a repeat of last night's performance. Being turned over Thor's knee and spanked like a child had been equal parts embarrassing and arousing. But if Thor had left and wasn't ever coming back, then what was the harm?

Loki had just reached over to fetch one of his knives – he was, in fact, already holding the blade to his wrist – when Thor entered the room carrying a tray that was brimming with all of Loki's favorite foods. The brothers' eyes met from across the room, both widening in horror: Loki, at being caught doing what he knew he wasn't supposed to; Thor, at seeing Loki prepared to harm himself despite his rather forceful attempts at persuading the younger otherwise.

Crossing the room in a few strides, Thor placed the tray of food down before approaching Loki, wrenching the knife out of his hand and dragging Loki out of bed by his wrist. Loki went willingly, already knowing what would happen. Still naked, having never put on sleep clothes after the conclusion of his and Thor's activities, Loki was unceremoniously turned over his brother's knee and smacked once each on his arse cheeks and thighs, and once at the base of his arse, where his buttocks and thighs merged, before Thor helped him upright again and wiped away the tears that had sprung unbidden to his eyes.

"I thought you had learned your lesson after last night," Thor gently chided him.

"And I thought you had left me and weren't ever coming back; that last night was just a pity fuck and nothing more," Loki countered, before swiftly clapping a hand over his mouth to silence his flapping tongue.

"Do you really think so little of me, brother?" asked Thor, "That I would leave you without a word?"

Loki shrugged helplessly and made to bend over Thor's lap again, but Thor stopped him with a _look_, and Loki held himself still instead, even when Thor left, returning with a jar of salve that was clearly meant to ease the burning pain that was only now making itself known in Loki's arse and his thighs. Loki wordlessly climbed onto the bed and lay down on his stomach, suffering Thor to tend his injuries, slight though they were.

"Did you have to hit so hard, brother?" Loki grumbled.

"My apologies," came Thor's quiet response as he set the salve aside and joined Loki on the bed. "How do you feel otherwise?"

"Like I had someone's cock up my arse," Loki drawled. His expression softened, though, at seeing his brother's distress. "I'm fine, Thor – truly," he assured him. "A little sore, perhaps, but nothing I can't handle."

"Good. I would hate to have caused you additional pain," Thor whispered, mindlessly running a hand down the length of Loki's back and stopping just short of his arse, afraid to touch that which he had marred. Loki held his breath, sensing that the moment of truth was upon them.

There was much to discuss after the previous night's indulgences. Where would they go from here? What would become of them? Thor had left, and come back, but did that mean he truly desired Loki? Or was he merely humoring his younger brother, and the intimacy they had experienced meant nothing to him?

"Hand me my robe, would you, Thor?" asked Loki, pointing towards the emerald-green silken dressing gown that was his usual fare. "If we're going to discuss last night, I would rather have a full stomach than not."

"As you wish, brother," Thor replied, fetching the robe that Loki had requested and helping him into it, despite Loki's protests that he was hardly an invalid; he'd merely been spanked, not beaten to within an inch of his life. Thor then retrieved the tray from where he had earlier set it down out of harm's way and re-joined Loki on the bed, placing the tray between them. He piled a plate high with all of Loki's favorite foods and watched carefully until Loki had taken a bite, before turning his attention to his own needs.

Breakfast passed between them in silence. Thor felt as though his stomach was all in knots; he dreaded what Loki would reveal to him. Where had they gone wrong as brothers that Loki would be driven to harming himself instead of turning to Thor for comfort as he was wont to do when they were younger? Loki, for his part, would have rather skipped breakfast entirely. He'd been doing so for so long already that just the thought of food was almost enough to make him sick.

Thor watched as Loki pushed the food around on his plate. Having taken the lead last night, Thor was now waiting for Loki to make the first move. When Loki finally set his plate back on the tray, Thor followed suit and took the tray in his hands, setting it outside the door for a servant to pick up later and return to the kitchen. His steps were heavy as he crossed the room back to the bed. How long had Loki been hurting, and Thor had never even noticed? Taking a seat on the mattress across from Loki, Thor opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out. What could he say to fix this?

Loki, as if sensing his brother's distress, took pity on Thor and spoke first. "It started on Nornheim," he said softly. "Do you remember?"

Thor nodded once. He'd been so scared on that day, afraid that he'd led his brother to his death. He didn't mind so much for himself – dying, that is. He'd feared for Loki, though. But his trickster brother had come through for him, saving them both. And then Thor had discounted Loki's contribution, for the simple reason that he was ashamed at having put them in such a situation to begin with. If he'd been a better man, more like Loki, then he would have readily admitted to his faults and accepted the consequences, hailing Loki as the hero rather than himself.

"I was so hurt by your reaction," Loki whispered, staring into his lap and twiddling his thumbs. "I wasn't seeking glory; I merely wanted recognition for my actions, for you to actually see me as _Loki_ and not your little brother. Instead, Odin ignored my very existence and you called my sorcery nothing more than tricks." Loki met Thor's eyes, then, and the thunder god was forced to look away in shame. "I had a dream that night," Loki continued. "I was on Midgard, I think, in one of their great cities, standing on a skyscraper; the city was burning around me, and I knew, somehow, that I was the cause. I was to blame, as I have always been. Then, you appeared; we fought and I triumphed. When I woke, I wanted so much to go to you, but I didn't think I would be welcome."

"What would make you think _that_?" Thor dared to ask. "Since we were young, you have always been welcome in my bed whenever you've had a nightmare. And sometimes even when you haven't and just wanted to be close to me."

A fond smile played across Loki's face as he recalled many instances in their youth when one or the other had crawled under the covers of their brother's bed, snuggling close for warmth and comfort after claiming to have had a bad dream. Thor had been especially affectionate, wrapping himself as far around Loki as he could manage, as if he would take Loki into himself if he could, absorbing and consuming the other just so that Loki would never have to be afraid again. "I know," Loki replied at last. "But we had only just reached manhood, and I didn't think you would appreciate your younger brother running to you because of a bad dream when you were trying to prove your own bravery."

"I wouldn't have turned you away," Thor assured him, and Loki wanted to believe him – he did! – but after centuries of being cast off and forgotten, Loki found it hard to trust in another's word.

"That was the first time I cut," he said instead, returning to his narrative and watching as Thor's eyes clouded with pain at having failed the brother he had sworn to always protect. "I felt so alone, and confused, and lost. I didn't know what else to do. When I cut, I felt free. Although in truth, I didn't feel anything. And that in itself is what was freeing. I didn't _want_ to feel. Emotions were too messy and complicated, especially mine for you. I loved you as a brother, but somewhere along the way I had begun to love you as more, and that scared me."

"Why didn't you come to me sooner?" asked Thor, taking Loki's hands in his and gripping hard.

"I didn't come to you this time, if you'll recall," said Loki snidely. "You followed me and wouldn't take no for an answer."

"You weren't complaining in the end," Thor replied, and their easy banter brought a smile to Loki's face that had long been missing.

He sobered, though, as he recalled the centuries that had followed, and the pain and loneliness that had been his constant companions. "I wanted it all to end," Loki whispered, Thor having to strain to hear him. "I never purposely cut myself deep enough to kill, but I did start to risk myself more and more for you in battle. My reasoning was that even if I'd been useless in life, at least, in protecting you, I might accomplish something with my death. That became my reason to live, as ironic as that sounds. Protecting you with my life became my one and only purpose."

"I can see now that I have been remiss as a brother," said Thor gravely. "You were neglected when you should have been cherished. The fault is mine, and I sincerely apologize. But have you really grown to hate yourself so much that you would value my life above your own?"

"Are you deaf, as well as dumb?" Loki sniped; he already felt vulnerable enough, and so lashed out at the nearest available target. "Did you hear nothing I just said? Nornheim was but the start. I have spent countless years being ignored and made to feel as though I were the lesser of us two. And yet, through it all, my love for you only grew, even as my own opinion of my worth dwindled to nothing."

No longer able to resist pulling Loki into his arms, Thor did so, ignoring his brother's protests – half-hearted, though they were – and proceeded to rock him back and forth like an infant, much as he had when they were small children together and Loki had come to him in search of comfort. As he had done then, Thor now whispered soothingly in Loki's ear and ran one hand up and down the length of his back, while the other remained wrapped around Loki's waist for support and to steady him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, softly, over and over again. "I'm so sorry. You were suffering, and I never even noticed! All these years, all this time, and you thought yourself worth less than me. I know I can't turn back the clock, but I ask that you give me another chance, unworthy as I am of your benevolence. Please, Loki – let me try again. Let me prove myself to you. Please..."

"There's no need to beg, brother," said Loki, and the smirk he wore and the laughter in his eyes was like a soothing balm to Thor's tormented soul, offering him a glimmer of hope that their relationship might yet return to normal. Loki skimmed his fingers along the surface of Thor's cheek, pressing their foreheads together. "Though you do so quite prettily, I must admit," he whispered, their breath comingling. "Perhaps I won't give in so easily, and you'll be forced to your knees, groveling for forgiveness that I might or might not choose to grant."

"Yes, yes, anything. Whatever you say," Thor babbled nonsensically, desperate to restore his brother's good opinion of him.

"Relax, Thor." Loki chuckled. "I'm not as cruel as that. I know you have a reputation to uphold, after all."

"I would sacrifice that and more for you, Loki," Thor vowed, pressing back against Loki just as firmly.

"Even the throne?" Loki inquired, genuinely curious as to Thor's response.

"Yes," he replied without hesitation, "even that. I love you, Loki. My life would be meaningless, and I would be nothing, without you, both by my side and guarding my back. And I will spend every day from now until Ragnarok convincing you of this truth. I swear it."

"I believe you," said Loki solemnly. "And... I love you, too. I know we didn't say much along those lines last night – we didn't say much of anything, really – but it's true. I love you, and will continue to do so for as long as I draw breath."

In response to this heartfelt declaration, Thor's mouth came down on Loki's with all the force of Mjolnir; he slammed their lips together, crushing Loki under him as they moved in tandem, mindlessly rutting against the other. "I love you," Thor whispered over and over again between frenzied kisses. "I'm sorry if I ever made you feel unworthy, of mine or anyone else's love. I didn't mean it."

"I know," Loki whispered back to him, his voice cracking as Thor unexpectedly moved to grope his arse through the thin material of his dressing gown, causing Loki to moan aloud as the pain sent a jolt straight to his core. "Thor!" he cried out.

Thor shot him a devilish smirk, and gripped his prize all the harder. Though Loki fought for dominance, he knew it to be a lost cause and gave himself over to his brother, unreservedly. Sensing his victory, Thor quickly divested him of his clothing, what little there was, and turned Loki over his knee, pinning his legs beneath him when Loki made to squirm out of his grasp, and pressing down on the small of his back with one hand. The other he placed atop Loki's arse, caressing the reddened flesh with all the tenderness of a lover before just as suddenly striking with all the speed of a snake.

Loki tensed and bucked across Thor's lap – he was already in enough pain, thank you very much, and didn't fancy any more – but Thor's grip was unrelenting. "Thor, let me go!" Loki demanded of him.

"I wonder, brother," Thor said in reply, "whether I can make you come from this alone."

Thor!" Loki began to fight to free himself in earnest.

Thor's response was merely to spank him again. "Come now, brother," he said, teasingly, "You and I both know that you could free yourself with little difficulty if that was truly your wish. So, either you're not trying hard enough, out of deference to _me_, or you want this and are just too stubborn to admit the truth. Which is it?"

Loki sighed in defeat and went limp across Thor's lap. "You know which it is, brother," he said. "Get on with it."

"Those words are music to my ears," said Thor, smirking as Loki twisted his head around to glare at him.

Thor's hand fell hard and fast across Loki's arse, quickly reddening the skin that before had been almost healed. Whereas the night before Loki hadn't wanted to appear weak in Thor's eyes, he now held nothing back, whimpering and moaning as Thor fell into a steady rhythm of spanking him up and down the entire length of his backside. Although both Loki and Thor's arousals were evident to the other, neither had yet achieved their release. It was several minutes later that Loki suddenly froze in place before coming with a shout, the majority of his release spilling onto the bed sheets, while a few drops landed on Thor's leg.

Having caught Thor by surprise, Loki managed to quickly roll off his brother's lap and onto the floor, landing on his knees. His dexterous fingers immediately went for the laces to Thor's breeches, and Loki paused only briefly to look up at him in a wordless plea for permission. Having received this, he made short work of pulling Thor's cock free and immediately wrapping his lips around the head. Sucking and teasing the tip, he watched through lidded eyes as Thor clenched his teeth, the veins in his neck bulging as he fought desperately to control his body's reaction and not ram the entire length of his shaft down Loki's willing throat.

Being now well-adjusted to the feeling of Thor's manhood resting hot and heavy in his mouth, Loki took more of his brother's shaft in, licking a stripe up the underside and inwardly smirking at Thor's involuntary reaction, which was to lurch forward so that his cock was now touching the back of Loki's throat and Loki's face was buried in the wiry hair of his groin. Thor recovered himself and attempted to pull back, but Loki refused him, instead hollowing his cheeks as though he were sucking a lollipop from one of Midgard's candy stores. Only then did he pull back, until just the tip of Thor's shaft was resting on his tongue, before surging forward and once more taking all of Thor in. Loki repeated these actions several times before he was struck by the familiar sensation of Thor's balls tightening, followed shortly after by Thor shooting his seed down Loki's throat.

Loki gladly swallowed every drop, wiping his lips with the back of his hand and looking up at Thor in the hopes of having pleased him in some small measure, only to find his brother's eyes darkened with lust. Thor's hand latched onto his wrist and he was abruptly hauled to his feet and drawn down onto Thor's lap, his legs straddling the elder's thighs as he was pulled into a filthy kiss, Thor's tongue invading the warm wet cavern that was Loki's mouth. When Thor eventually released him, both were left with a stunned, slightly dazed look in their eyes.

"I take it, then, that you are pleased?" Loki inquired some short time later.

"More than, brother dear," Thor replied hoarsely, having yet to regain the full use of his faculties, still in shock at the skill with which Loki had so easily employed both his mouth and tongue. "Wherever did you develop such... talents?"

"It's truly amazing what tidbits of knowledge one can pick up when no one notices you," was Loki's lofty reply.

But Thor wasn't fooled. He gripped Loki's chin between his fingers – hard, but not hard enough to bruise; and Loki was truly free to wrench away, should he so choose to – forcing him to meet his eyes. "I will have the truth from you, brother," he said, and his words elicited a shiver from Loki that Thor was hard-pressed to explain before he suddenly remembered: these were the exact words he had used last night to coerce Loki into undressing and thus revealing the extent of his self-inflicted injuries. Armed with this knowledge, Thor yet refused to take his words back, determined to understand the meaning of what Loki had surely meant as nothing more than a throw-away comment.

Loki's eyes softened and his hand moved to cup Thor's cheek with the utmost gentleness. "Just because you might not have always seen me, brother," he said, "did not mean that I was not present, guarding your back even when you might not have wished it. I have always been there for you, lurking in the shadows. It was through this that I heard Fandral bragging about his many conquests, both male and female, and the techniques he used to please each."

"I am not as blind as some might accuse me of being," said Thor slowly, shooting Loki a mock-hurt glare at the implications of his statement. "I know that the Warriors Three and Sif have not been as welcoming to you as I would have them be. Unfortunately, I cannot force them to accept you if they don't wish it; my influence as their future ruler is limited. Not that I would hold such power over them, even should they let me. Nonetheless, I promise you this, Loki, my brother, my own true love: I will do more to include you, and barring that, I will divide my time between you all as equally as I am able. However, if it ever comes down to choosing you or them, I will always choose you. On this, you have my word and my solemn oath."

"I accept your vow, my brother, my heart," Loki replied with equal solemnity, pressing his forehead to Thor's and choosing to ignore his own state of undress, at least for the moment.

The two brothers sealed their words with a kiss. Thor then helped Loki onto the bed, taking him in his arms and laying down to sleep. One of his hands came to rest on Loki's arse, thus staking his claim on his younger brother. Loki smiled to himself, secretly pleased at the inequality their current positions posed: while he was undressed, exposed and laid bare, Thor was completely covered up. Though Loki may have desired to be seen as equal to Thor in the public's eye, he was more than happy to give up his control and let Thor take charge in the bedroom. With this thought in mind, Loki drifted peacefully off to sleep, safe in his brother's arms and secure in the knowledge of Thor's love.


	3. Chapter 3

It was mid-afternoon when there came a knock at the entrance to Loki's chambers, disturbing the brothers' slumber. Muttering curses under his breath, and promising a slow and painful death to whoever was on the other side of the door, Loki donned his previously-discarded robe and padded bare-footed across the room, flinging wide the double doors and startling the page that stood before him.

"Your Highness," he stuttered, offering the prince a nervous bow. "The All-Father has requested your immediate presence in the Room of Relics."

Loki nodded his understanding and dismissed the page, the doors slamming shut in the youngster's face. Returning to bed, Loki found Thor sitting upright, the sheet pooling about his waist as he rubbed the vestiges of sleep from his eyes.

"Father has summoned me to the Room of Relics," Loki announced as he bent over, presenting Thor with an appealing view of his reddened arse, and began picking up various articles of clothing from off the floor in search of his own. Thor joined him, taking every opportunity to touch his brother's body and press close up against Loki's back in an effort to distract him.

"I'm going with you," Thor declared, as though daring Loki to question his decision.

"Of course you are," Loki grumbled good-naturedly, shaking his head even as he walked towards the door and out into the hallway, traversing the many twisting corridors while taking comfort in the presence of his brother at his side.

Upon reaching the Room of Relics, Loki and Thor both noticed that not only was Odin waiting for them, but Frigga also. Whatever reason Odin had for summoning them here, it was serious. As the brothers drew closer to their parents, Thor placed his hand at the small of Loki's back in a gesture meant to reassure the younger.

Loki, having barely turned his head, smiled gratefully at Thor before addressing the All-Father. "You summoned me," he said simply.

"I did," Odin replied. "And yet I should have known that Thor would come also. Where one of you goes, the other is bound to follow."

"Indeed," Loki murmured respectfully, fighting back laughter at the double entendre unexpectedly present in his father's words. Beside him, he sensed Thor also struggling to maintain his composure, and Loki was thankful that they were not facing each other, or else all would have been lost.

"Your mother and I feel that it is time for you to know the truth about your past, Loki," said Odin gravely. Ignoring his son's sudden apprehension, he continued speaking, "Would you please touch the Casket?"

Loki stared between his father and the shimmering blue Casket of Ancient Winters, a deadly weapon from the realm of the Frost Giants that all Asgardians were taught to fear – and rightly so, as exposure to such a power could immobilize immortals, such as the Asgardians were, and outright kill lesser beings, such as the mortals on Midgard. Loki turned his gaze to Thor, as though looking for answers in his brother's eyes.

Taking up the mantle of protector, as he always had, Thor objected to Odin's demand. "For what purpose do you ask this of Loki? Why risk your son to such an extent, and for seemingly no gain?"

"Silence, Thor," said Odin. "This matter does not concern you. There was a reason you were not summoned along with Loki, and why I would have wished for your absence."

Stunned by his father's harsh words, Thor subsided, looking forlornly at Loki, who returned his gaze with equal puzzlement. What was the All-Father playing at?

With trepidation, Loki approached the Casket and laid his hands on it, as Odin had asked of him. What he hadn't been prepared for was his sudden transformation: his skin turned blue, and he sensed, on some instinctual level, that should he glance in a looking-glass, he would discover that his eyes were red, too. In short, he had become a Jotun. "What is the meaning of this, Father?" he asked quietly, staring at his hand in shock and turning it from side to side, as though a change in angle might alter his perception of reality.

"I should think it was quite obvious," Odin replied. "You are of the Jotun race. To be more specific, you are Laufey's son. I found you abandoned and left to die in a temple during the final battle of our ancient war. I couldn't sentence an innocent baby to death, and so I brought you home to raise as my own."

"And why, _Father_," said Thor, calmly and with great precision, a sure sign of his anger, "would you only now reveal Loki's past to him? Why not tell him when we were younger? Or why even tell him at all?"

"I had hoped that by taking Loki in, he would ensure a lasting peace between our peoples," Odin admitted.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a clap of thunder boomed outside and rain began to pound steadily on the roof. So great was his rage that Thor had no need of Mjolnir to summon lightning. He had always loved Loki as a brother, and now treasured him as a lover. So to discover that Loki had been lied to all his life, and by their father no less, made Thor angry on his brother's – yes, his brother, for such Loki would always be, whatever his rightful lineage – behalf.

A sudden cry distracted Thor from his borderline-traitorous thoughts. Recognizing the sound of Loki in distress, Thor turned to comfort his brother, only to be faced with his retreating back, as Loki had quickly replaced the Casket and was now fleeing what was surely his brother's dismay at having fucked – Loki refused to think of it as making love – a Frost Giant, the sworn enemy of Asgard.

Deciding to give Loki a head start – there was no doubt that Thor would find him, eventually – Thor turned once more to face his parents. "I must applaud your timing, Father," he said, momentarily debating whether or not to betray Loki's confidence and ultimately deciding that the end-result must surely outweigh the risk he was taking. "I had only recently discovered that Loki has spent the past several centuries harming himself because he felt unequal to me in your eyes. And now you tell him _this_. Again, Father, I must congratulate you."

With that, Thor stormed from the Room of Relics in search of his younger brother, leaving Odin and Frigga staring after him in shock as they were faced with the full consequences of their actions.

"What have we done?" Frigga whispered as she watched both her sons disappear from sight.

"We did what we thought we had to," Odin replied, placing his arm about her waist and leading her back to their chambers.

* * *

The rain was coming down in sheets as Loki ran blindly through the palace grounds in desperate search of a place to hide from Thor's wrath. But there was nowhere that was safe from the thunder god. Finally, Loki collapsed at the base of a tree, bringing his knees up to his chest and rocking back and forth as he cried, his tears mingling with the rain already running down his face. Great sobs wracked his body, but his cries were lost to the storm.

This was how Thor found him, a shivering bedraggled form that Thor might have overlooked had he not been paying close attention to his surroundings. He fell to his knees at Loki's side and reached out a trembling hand to push back the hair from out of Loki's eyes. But Loki flinched away from Thor's touch, seeming to hunch further in on himself in an effort to escape his brother.

"What is this, Loki?" Thor asked. "Do you fear me now?"

"Shouldn't I?" Loki responded. "Are you not disgusted with yourself for having fucked a Frost Giant? And have you not come to exact your revenge on me?"

"Is that what you think?" Thor exclaimed. "I assure you, Loki, that couldn't be farther from the truth. I followed you because I was worried, because I care for you and didn't want you to do yourself further harm."

"And the storm?" asked Loki quietly.

Understanding Loki's unspoken question, Thor replied, "I'm mad at Odin, not at you. Never at you, my love."

The endearment seemed to strike a chord with Loki, and he sat up, albeit hesitantly, and faced Thor more fully. "I feared—" he began, speaking quietly and more to his lap than to Thor. "I feared that you now hated me, both for what I am and because of what's happened between us."

"Your being a Frost Giant changes _nothing_," said Thor, speaking so fervently that Loki was hard-pressed to doubt him. "I love you, Loki. I always have and I always will."

"I believe you," Loki whispered, pressing his forehead to Thor's and smiling when Thor responded in kind.

They remained that way for many minutes, locked in an embrace that neither wished to end. Eventually, though, Loki's shivering drew Thor's attention and he pulled back, reaching down to place an arm beneath Loki's knees and one around his back, to support him. In this manner, Thor scooped him up and began to carry him back to the palace. Loki, of course, objected vehemently, as Thor had known he would.

"Put me down, Thor. "I'm not some damsel in need of rescue by _you_!"

"Is that really you talking, or simply your pride?" Thor replied, and his words seemed to freeze Loki in place, momentarily, before he went limp in his brother's arms and allowed for Thor to carry him the rest of the way to his rooms with argument.

They passed no one in the hallways, for which Loki and Thor were both grateful, and reached Loki's chamber without further incident. Thor placed him tenderly on the bed, before disappearing from sight. Where before – only that morning, in fact – Loki might have panicked at his brother's absence, now he relaxed and waited for Thor's inevitable return. In the distance, he could hear water running and realized that Thor was drawing him a bath. Thor returned, as Loki had known he would, and carefully stripped him of his sodden clothing, before once more taking him in his arms and depositing him in the luxurious tub, the warm water immediately thawing his previously-chilled body.

"Won't you join me, broth- Thor?" asked Loki, correcting himself mid-sentence as he suddenly recalled that Thor was no longer his brother; he never had been.

Thor's eyes softened at Loki's slip of the tongue, and he followed his brother's example in undressing before sliding beneath the water's surface and settling himself at Loki's back. "You can still call me 'brother,' you know," he whispered in Loki's ear. "Whatever Odin says, I will always consider us brothers of the heart, if not by blood."

"Thank you," Loki whispered back, closing his eyes against the emotions threatening to overwhelm him before craning his neck around to kiss Thor on the cheek.

His head came to rest on Thor's broad shoulder, and his eyes fell shut as he dozed, Thor's presence relaxing him as much as the warm water. Thor smiled at seeing his brother's defenses fall, and peppered kisses across the top of Loki's head and down the side of his neck. Though Loki might accuse him of sentimentality, Thor couldn't find it in him to resist when an opportunity to pamper his brother presented itself. Loki was eventually roused by Thor's meaty hands kneading his shoulders, and he positively keened at the sensation. Encouraged, Thor continued his ministrations until Loki abruptly turned around and crushed their lips together, his legs straddling Thor's thighs while Thor's hands drifted south to cup his arse.

"Will you take me, brother?" he whispered in Thor's ear. "Even knowing what I am? That I am your enemy and that of Asgard's?"

With more grace than Loki would have thought possibly, Thor stepped out of the tub without once releasing his grip on Loki's buttocks. As a result, Loki was forced to wrap his legs around Thor's waist and cling to his neck for fear of toppling backwards and out of Thor's arms. Thor carried him into the next room and threw Loki down on the bed, throwing himself down next to his brother. Propping himself on one elbow, he traced the contours of Loki's face, his own features for once serious.

"I won't hear you talk of yourself that way, Loki," he said. "Watch your silver tongue, or I'll be forced to punish you."

"I'd like to see you try," Loki sneered, daring Thor to carry through with his threat.

Thor vanished from his side and returned brandishing his belt. "Care to test my mettle, brother?" he asked.

"Do it, and prove yourself the brute I always took you for," said Loki, turning onto his stomach in an open invitation for Thor to punish him as he so richly deserved.

The first blow, landing in the center of his arse, took Loki by surprise, the force of it driving him into the mattress. Then the pain exploded and tears sprung to his eyes. The second blow landed on his thighs; the third at the base of his arse. As the blows continued to rain down on him, tears leaked unchecked from Loki's eyes, the hot wetness trickling down his already-flushed cheeks to burn the skin. Burying his face in his arms, Loki waited for Thor to decide that he'd had enough.

At long last, with a final blow that landed in the cleft of Loki's arse, drawing a high-pitched yelp, unbidden, from his throat, Thor's hand stilled and he laid the belt down gently on the bed. Falling forward to land next to Loki, Thor's hand trailed down the length of his brother's back as Loki's shoulders heaved with barely-suppressed sobs. Finally, as his breathing slowed and returned to normal, Loki turned his head to look at Thor and was surprised to discover tear tracks on his brother's cheeks that matched his own.

"I'm sorry, Loki," Thor whispered, voice still clogged with tears. Loki only sniffled in response, refusing to acknowledge his brother's words. "But I will do whatever it takes to convince you that you are not a monster just because you are of the Jotun race. You are my brother, my best friend, my lover, and the person I want by my side for the rest of my life. Am I wrong to want you, then? Are you implying that your future king has poor taste in bed partners?"

Loki frantically shook his head. He didn't fear his brother – nothing could ever make him fear _Thor_ – but he didn't fancy making Thor wait for an answer and perhaps earn himself another thrashing in the meantime.

"Come here," commanded Thor, opening his arms to his brother and drawing Loki into the safety of his embrace.

"I didn't mind," Loki whispered some time later. He felt Thor's vice-like grip on him tighten in response to his words. "I think this is what I've secretly been craving for years, now: for you to take charge of me and to discipline me when I misbehave or put myself down, which is often."

"Are you saying that you want for this to continue?" asked Thor, incredulous, and slightly disbelieving that his beloved little brother should desire further pain at his hand.

"Yes, please, Thor," said Loki, pushing back against Thor's groin and whimpering as he felt his brother's cock twitch in interest as it brushed against his sensitive arse.

"In that case, then... Loki, will you allow me to make love to you?"

Turning within the confines of his brother's embrace, Loki wound his arms around Thor's neck, drawing their bodies closer together. Pressing his forehead to Thor's, Loki kissed him chastely on the lips even as his hands drifted south, palming Thor's buttocks and grinding their erections together. "If I've been in any way unclear as to my desire for you, brother..." Loki whispered, his voice trailing away suggestively.

Smirking against his brother's lips, Thor quickly flipped them so that Loki was pinned beneath him. Holding Loki's wrists together in one hand, Thor fumbled for the belt he had previously set aside and with it, secured Loki to the headboard. Although Loki thrashed and struggled against his restraints, he soon subsided, looking eagerly at Thor for direction. "I'm going to worship your body, and I don't want you to interfere," said Thor. "If I must, then I will seal your lips, too, to silence that traitorous tongue of yours."

At hearing this, Loki went boneless and gladly surrendered himself over to Thor's control, exactly as he had wished for so long. Thor began by trailing kisses up and down the entire length of his body, starting with his face – kissing his forehead, his closed eyelids, his cheeks, the tip of his nose, and his lips – moving to his neck, where he sucked determinedly until a number of bruises began taking shape, and kissing down his chest. His tongue darted out to lick at Loki's nipples, and he paused in his ministrations long enough to tweak the hardened nubs between his fingers, drawing a strangled cry from Loki's lips. He then continued on his way, kissing Loki's belly and down both his legs, closing his lips around each of Loki's toes and pressing a kiss to the soles of Loki's feet.

"I love you, Loki," he whispered between kisses. "I love everything about you, from the top of your head to your smallest toe. I especially love your magic. You are so clever and have saved my life too many times for me to count, much less repay. You are perfect just the way you are, and I will never stop loving you for as long as I live." When he looked up, he found Loki's eyes brimming with tears, but there was a smile on his face, too, so Thor knew that he wasn't sad, only happy to be hearing words so long denied him.

Returning to his task of worshipping Loki and convincing him of his worth, Thor delved between his brother's legs, pressing a kiss to the tip of Loki's cockhead before wrapping his lips more fully around the shaft and sucking in imitation of his brother's own actions earlier that afternoon. Whereas Thor had attempted to control his body's reaction so as to spare his brother, Loki had no such compunctions and arched his hips off the bed in an effort to reach the back of Thor's throat, desperate to envelope his cock in more of the warm wet suction that was his brother's mouth. Thor took it all in his stride, accepting as much of Loki's length as he was able, and gladly swallowed his brother's seed when Loki achieved his release with a muted groan.

Thor pulled his mouth from off of Loki's cock, offering his brother a moment's reprieve. Loki looked debauched: his face was still blotchy from crying while Thor was whipping him earlier; sweat stood out in beads upon his forehead; and his eyes were blown wide with lust, his orgasm having taken him by surprise. He was still aware enough to notice that Thor had yet to achieve his own release, and inclined his head in such a way as to gesture between his legs, which were planted firmly on the bed, leaving his hole exposed to Thor's view.

"I would have you spend yourself inside me," he whispered hoarsely. "Though only if that is your wish, also."

"Whatever you wish is my wish as well, brother," Thor replied.

Fetching a vial of oil from the bedside table, the thunder god drizzled a few drops of the liquid onto his fingers and pressed a single digit against Loki's entrance, smirking when it easily gave way. Loki was still loose, then, from their activities the previous night. Thor would still take care, though, to treat his brother as the treasure that he was. Soon adding a second finger, Thor scissored the two until Loki was a writhing, whining mess beneath him. He then added a third finger, crooking those already buried in Loki until he found that bundle of nerves that would make his brother see stars.

Withdrawing his fingers, Thor slicked his cock up with oil and aligned himself with his brother's entrance, pressing in slowly to accustom Loki to the intrusion. He held still until Loki rolled his hips experimentally, his cock reviving and showing interest once again. Taking that as his brother's tacit permission to continue, Thor withdrew his cock until only the head remained sheathed within Loki, before pushing back in, completing this action several times as he and Loki found a rhythm that was pleasing to them both. Thor could feel his release building in him, and so held nothing back when his balls tightened and he spilled his seed into Loki, his brother following him over the edge mere moments later.

Upon completion, Thor collapsed on top of Loki, his head landing on his brother's chest. The feel of Loki's hands carding through his golden locks momentarily startled Thor, before he recalled who exactly it was that he had tied up: a powerful sorcerer with the ability to free himself at any time should he wish it. Huffing a laugh, he simply wrapped his arms around Loki and held on tight. "Are you convinced, _now_, brother?" he asked, speaking against the skin of Loki's neck, where he could taste the salty tang of sweat.

"Almost," Loki replied, a teasing lilt to his voice. "I might require another demonstration later, though only after you've regained your strength, of course. I wouldn't want to overtax the mighty Thor!"

"Hush, you," Thor chided him sleepily. "Or I'll put you over my knee again."

"You won't find me complaining," said Loki softly, resting his head on top of Thor's as his fingers mindlessly stroked his brother's hair.


	4. Chapter 4

As Thor made his way to the entrance of the throne room, Loki seamlessly fell into step beside him, and as one, the brothers came to a halt outside the doors through which Thor would soon walk to be crowned.

It had been several months since Thor had discovered Loki's self-destructive tendencies and punished him accordingly. That was the first night they made love. On the following day, they had begun further exploring their fledgling relationship, only for their father to interrupt and reveal to them that Loki was not Odin's son, but rather, Laufey's. Hearing this, Loki had run away, but Thor had tracked him down and taken him back to his room, where he had pampered and made sweet love to Loki, though only after whipping him with his belt when Loki had spoken disparagingly of his heritage. Thor wouldn't stand for anyone to think less of Loki, and that included Loki himself.

Since then, Thor and Loki's relationship, both physical and otherwise, had only improved. Where before Thor had seemed to favor the Warriors Three and Sif over his own brother, he now divided his time between them as equally as he was able; and on occasion, he even managed to convince Loki to join him on the training grounds to spar. As for his and Loki's bedroom activities, although he often spanked Loki as a prelude to sex, he had but rarely been forced to raise his hand to his brother as a punishment. Just as Loki's relationship with Thor was improving, so too was his opinion of himself.

Still, the silver-tongued mischief-maker occasionally had relapses, more so, it seemed, as Thor's coronation had approached. Loki became a shell of who he was and more like the trickster god who had first started harming himself as a reminder of his own worth, or lack thereof, in comparison to Thor.

The night before, on the eve of Thor's coronation, Loki had gone down on his knees in the privacy of he and his brother's shared bedchambers and sworn to stand by Thor through all the days of his reign. Afterwards, Loki had serviced him so beautifully that the elder prince was left speechless. Loki's actions, though, had worried Thor, for while his brother was often the submissive partner between the two of them, he still remained undeniably _Loki_, Thor's snarky but devoted younger sibling. When questioned, Loki admitted that while he was pleased for Thor and could want nothing more than for him to take the throne, he still felt the difference in their positions: Thor, as the future ruler of Asgard; and Loki, who wasn't even Asgard by birth, but a Jotun runt.

"You know I'm going to have to punish you for this, brother," Thor had said.

"Yes," Loki had replied, taking his position at the foot of their bed and stretching his body out until his arse was upturned so as to present Thor with the perfect target.

Thor had returned to stand behind him, tapping his buttocks with a well-used cane from their younger days that their tutors had employed when either of the princes had failed to complete their assignments or otherwise misbehaved. Both brothers had grown to dread the cane, and so had always been on their best behavior to avoid the bite of the rattan. For Thor to use the cane on Loki, now, meant that he was serious about correcting his brother's impression of himself.

The cane had swished through the air and landed with a loud _crack!_ on the top of Loki's arse. "That's one," said Thor. He raised the cane again, admiring the precision with which he had landed the previous stroke and the resulting welt that stood out red against Loki's creamy skin. _Crack!_ "That's two," said Thor, counting the strokes in place of Loki, who was in no fit state to do so. The second stroke had landed directly below the previous, two thin tramlines branding Loki's buttocks. The third followed below the first two strokes, as did the fourth and fifth. The sixth stroke landed atop the crease of Loki's arse, where his buttocks and thighs merged, and where he would put most of his weight when sitting.

At this last, Loki had surged to his feet, clapping his hands to his arse in a futile effort to escape or perhaps to alleviate the pain. He only realized his mistake, though, when Thor gently tapped him with the cane. "Back over," he had said. "We're not done yet." Thor had then proceeded to cane Loki across his thighs, an additional six strokes. Then, to end with, he had aimed the second-to-last stroke at the base of Loki's arse, and while Loki was coming to terms with the pain of _that_, he had finished by landing the final stroke diagonally across the welts already covering his arse.

"All finished," Thor said then, discarding the cane in favor of a soothing balm for the skin he had just marked. Once he had finished, he had taken Loki into his arms and held him close while soothing the hurts he had just inflicted. "Feel better?" he had asked. At Loki's wordless nod, he said, "Care to tell me what that was all about? You must have wanted it badly, to put in as little effort as you did to weasel out of punishment."

"I'm unworthy of you, Thor – truly!" Loki had exclaimed. "And you can beat me all you want, but it won't change the fact that I'm a Jotun runt. Even my own father didn't want me. Why should you?"

"Because, as the future ruler of Asgard, I deserve the best – and that's you," Thor had replied with surety.

Thor now smiled fondly at Loki, recalling how he had let himself go the previous night and cry out all the hurt and pain and betrayal that he had ever kept shut away inside of himself since discovering the truth of his past. "And how do you feel this morning, brother?" asked Thor, jovially. "Not too sore, I hope?"

"The pain is bearable, brother," Loki replied, returning Thor's smile with equal fondness. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," said Thor honestly. "Aren't you?"

"What have I to be nervous about?" asked Loki with a little laugh that lacked sincerity. "No one will notice me in the shadow of your perfect golden light."

"Loki..." said Thor warningly.

"I know, I know," said Loki, holding up his hands in gesture of mock surrender. "I'll be good, I promise." A servant approached, then, carrying Thor's winged helm in his hands. Thor accepted it, and Loki saw a chance to break the tension between them. "Nice feathers."

"Are you really going to start this again, cow?" asked Thor, responding as Loki had hoped he would, with a laugh.

Although Loki had intended to continue in the vein their conversations so often went – that of playful banter – there was something he needed to say before the ceremony, something he wasn't sure he had told Thor often enough, and what he had been trying to convey to him last night through both his passivity and submission to Thor's chosen punishment. "I've looked forward to this day for as long as you have, my brother," he said softly, "Sometimes, I may have been envious, but never doubt that I love you."

"Thank you," Thor replied in equal seriousness, clasping the back of Loki's head in a gesture both of brotherhood and of shared intimacy.

"Now give us a kiss," said Loki, who couldn't resist breaking the mood once more, and leaned forward to accept what he didn't doubt that Thor would grant.

"Gladly." Thor tilted his head to the side, so as to avoid being speared by Loki's horned helmet, and brushed his lips against Loki's in a tender kiss, so different from the ones they most often shared in the bedroom. "That'll have to last you till after the ceremony, brother," he said as he pulled away. "Consider yourself summoned to a private audience with your king later tonight."

"I look forward to it, my liege," Loki said without a trace of irony, his arms outspread as he swept Thor his most regal bow. Straightening upright once more, he said, "It's time."

"So it is. Are you ready, brother?"

"After you," said Loki, gesturing for Thor to precede him through the doors.

Thor refused, though, and so together, the brothers made their way through the throng of people until they reached the foot of the throne, where Odin stood waiting for them, Frigga at his side. As Thor knelt before their father, Loki moved to stand by Sif and the Warriors Three, with whom he had grown closer to in recent months, thanks, in part, to Thor's ceaseless efforts to bring them together.

"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of Asgard, according to our ancient laws and customs?" Odin was saying. "Will you, in your power, cause law and justice in mercy to be executed in all judgments?"

"I solemnly promise so to do," Thor replied, his voice carrying to the corners of the cavernous chamber.

"Then, rise, Thor Odinson, as the new king of Asgard."

Thor obeyed his father's words and moved to stand at Odin's side, the better to receive homage from those present. Loki was the first to kneel, raising his hands towards Thor beseechingly even as he ignored the twinge in his arse and thighs that were a direct result of the caning he had received at his brother's hand the night before. He kept his eyes locked on Thor and refused to even acknowledge Odin's presence. As much as Loki's relationship with Thor had improved, his relationship with Odin had gone from bad to worse.

"Will you accept my pledge, my brother... my king?" asked Loki, deliberately raising his voice so that those who might once have doubted his loyalty to Thor would do so no longer.

"Gladly," said Thor, clasping Loki's hands between his and raising him to his feet, kissing his brother once on both cheeks, though his eyes held the promise of decidedly more intimate relations once they were alone.

Loki now stood at Thor's side as one by one the nobles came forward to pledge themselves to Thor's service. Following Loki's example, the Warriors Three and Sif were next to kneel before Thor, who accepted their pledges with the same solemnity with which he had accepted Loki's.

At last, it seemed as if everyone had knelt to Thor and they could proceed to the feast that was in honor of Thor's coronation and which would last well into the night. Many toasts later – to Thor's health and long life, for a start, and then the more ridiculous as guests got more into their cups – and everyone had either gone to bed or was passed out along one of the many tables in the feasting hall.

Thor had disappeared shortly before, his absence noted only by his brother. Loki now followed, knocking once on the door of the throne room before pushing through and immediately shielding both the room and its occupants from the view of Heimdall with the aid of his magic, as well as preventing any sounds from drifting out into the hallways for any sleepless passerby to overhear.

Thor sat on the throne, looking every inch the king he now was. "Approach," he said, the words having barely left his mouth before Loki was obeying, coming to a stop at the foot of the throne and slowly lowering himself to his knees, before going even further and fully prostrating himself at his brother's feet.

"You sent for me," he said, voice muffled as a result of speaking to the floor rather than directly to Thor.

"Yes, I would have you prove yourself to me," said Thor without preamble.

"What would you have me do, Sire?" asked Loki, Thor's commanding tone sending a jolt of equal parts arousal and pleasure to his core, and subsequently, his cock. Unbeknownst to him, his address of Thor was having a similar effect on his brother.

"Undress for me. I wish to see you," came Thor's reply. Shivering in delight, Loki was quick to comply, discarding his clothes in a pile and once more returning to kneel before Thor. "Crawl to me," Thor commanded, surprised at his own audacity, and further stunned when Loki obeyed, crawling up the stairs to the throne on his hands and knees until he was able to rest his head in Thor's lap. Thor stroked his brother's hair as he would a beloved pet, and spoke softly to Loki. "Is this what you meant when you said that you desired my domination over you?"

Loki nodded but said nothing. "You have my permission to speak, love," said Thor. Loki trembled, coming apart from his words alone, from Thor's acceptance of this need of his, however strange others might have found it.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he whispered over and over again. "Yes, this is what I meant. This is what I want. I crave your ownership. My life and magic is yours, to use as you will. I am at your command, completely and unreservedly." Loki continued to tremble, overcome at finally attaining that which he had long desired. Thor's love was a gift, and while he would have been happy to continue on as they had been, with Thor only occasionally dominating him in the bedroom and otherwise treating them as equals, to have Thor finally understand that he didn't want equality – at least, not in private – but to be stripped of his free will... it was liberating.

"Shh, there, there, love," said Thor soothingly, continuing to pet Loki's hair. "I'll give you what you need. I'll make it good for you, I promise." So saying, he pulled Loki up from off the ground and hauled him across his lap, intent on inspecting the damage he had inflicted the previous night. Peering through the pale moonlight that bathed the room, Thor's breath hitched as he caught his first glimpse of Loki's bare skin since the previous night: Loki's buttocks and his uppers thighs were a mass of welts, thin angry red lines, while the surrounding skin was pleasantly pink, betraying only a hint of the bruises that would soon form. Loki, meanwhile, lay motionless across Thor's spread thighs, proving the truth of his words: that he was Thor's to do with as he so chose.

As Thor's hand brushed the tender skin, Loki whimpered at the painful sensation, yet obligingly pushed up towards Thor's hand, obviously thinking that his brother wished to further spank him or that he had done some wrong which Thor now sought to correct. Intrigued by Loki's reaction, and wishing to test how far his brother was willing to let him go, Thor struck out once with the flat of his palm – not hard enough to cause lasting pain, but just enough to sting. Loki responded as he had before, offering no objection beyond a pitiful whine, otherwise submitting to his brother's will and pushing back towards Thor's hand.

"No, Loki," he said, gently. "While you may wish for me to dominate you, I refuse to risk causing you further harm." As Loki relaxed more fully across Thor's lap, the thunder god realized that Loki hadn't particularly wanted to be spanked; he merely thought that Thor wanted to, and so was submitting to what he thought was his brother's will. "Nor will I ever do anything that you truly do not wish for, also," Thor continued. "I'm happy to be in control, so long as I never give you just cause to fear me."

Bent over as he was, all Loki could manage to show his gratitude was to press a kiss to Thor's muscular calve. No sooner had he done so than he was sitting upright in Thor's lap again, his brother's hands cupping his arse and thighs, acting as a shield between Loki's sensitive skin and the rough fabric of Thor's breeches. Pressing their foreheads together, Thor encouraged Loki to wrap his arms around his neck, peppering his face with kisses all the while. "Thank you for giving yourself to me," he whispered. "I will never abuse your trust, and I will do my best to always serve you as faithfully as you have sworn to serve me."

When Loki remained uncharacteristically silent, Thor said, "You don't need my permission to speak, love. Unless I've specifically told you to be quiet unless spoken to, you can talk as much or as little as you like."

Loki took one shuddering breath, then another, as though he had been underwater and was only now breaching the surface. Thor continued to hold him, his touch a constant presence as he sought to calm Loki. "Thank you," the younger prince whispered, lowering his head to rest in the space between Thor's neck and shoulders. "Anytime, love," the elder responded, stroking a hand down the length of Loki's back and tracing the nob of his spine.

After several minutes, Loki pulled away so as to meet Thor's gaze head-on. "Will you..." he began, stuttering nervously. "That is, I mean... will you let me serve you? Now?"

"In what way?" asked Thor, curious as to what his brother intended.

In lieu of a verbal response, Loki slid from off of Thor's lap back to the ground, landing heavily on his knees. He reached for the laces to Thor's breeches, only to pause and look up, waiting for permission from Thor. Upon receiving it, in the form of a wordless nod, Loki proceeded to pull Thor's cock free and take it in his mouth. In no time at all, Thor having already been half-hard at the realization that Loki was giving himself up body and soul to Thor's control, he was spilling his seed down Loki's throat, Loki swallowing without complaint. Remaining on his knees, Loki patiently waited for Thor to recover enough to issue his next command.

"Get up here," Thor whispered hoarsely, tugging on Loki's wrist and pulling him back onto his lap, his softened cock pressing against the cleft of Loki's arse and brushing past his welt-covered cheeks. Gripping Loki's shoulders, Thor encouraged him to lean forward, enough for him to whisper in his ear, "Prepare yourself for me."

Loki gaped, gasping aloud at Thor's daring, before quickly following his brother's order and slipping a single finger beyond the tight ring of muscle, to be shortly followed by a second and a third. He was still loose from previous couplings, and so required little preparation. In the meantime, Thor had slicked up his cock, which had quickly returned to hardness at the sight of Loki fingering himself – and at Thor's own command, no less! – with oil from a vial he had secreted away. When both brothers were ready, Thor aided Loki in aligning his entrance with his cock and _pushed_, sliding in with ease.

In their current positions, Loki had little control over the pace set, and so gave himself over to Thor, allowing his brother to raise him up and down as he sought the bundle of nerves that would send Loki over the edge and into the abyss. Thor grunted with the exertion of supporting Loki's weight while simultaneously trying to please him. Loki cried aloud as his abused arse continually brushed against Thor's breeches, the rough cloth rubbing his skin and irritating the welts already present. And it was this that ultimately caused his release to build until the heat pooling in his belly was nothing more or less than a raging inferno: the stimulation of Thor's cock brushing his prostate coupled with his arse coming into contact with Thor's clothed legs.

And yet, Loki held himself still, refusing to come until Thor gave him permission to do so. Thor, as if sensing this, gripped the back of his neck and dragged Loki forward, whispering in his ear, "Come for me. Your king commands it."

With a shout, Loki burst, coming undone without ever having been touched, and spilling his seed across Thor's chest, staining his ceremonial garb with his come. Thor followed him over the brink, his sight momentarily going white. When he came back down, it was to Loki's mumbled apologies as he tried desperately to clean Thor's ruined tunic. "Leave it," said Thor, gruffly, tucking himself back into his breeches and taking note of Loki's drooping eyelids before gathering him into his arms. "Rest, love," he whispered. "I'll take care of you."

Deciding that dressing Loki would take too much time and energy, Thor settled for wrapping Loki up in his blood-red cloak, thus hiding his nakedness. With Loki still in his arms, Thor bent down to scoop up Loki's clothes, and in this manner carried him out of the throne room and down the many twisting corridors until he had reached their own shared chambers. Tucking Loki into bed, still without bothering to dress him, Thor shed his own clothes and joined Loki under the covers. He was gratified when Loki, sensing his presence even in sleep, curled into his side and allowed for Thor to shelter him in his embrace.

As Thor began to slowly drop off to sleep, he couldn't help but smile. Today he had been crowned king; and in his arms rested the most precious of creatures, his brother, his own true love, who had given himself over to Thor's care and control. What more could he ask for?


End file.
